News

Autoantibodies Targeting GRP78 Protein May Cause PCD in LEMS

Autoantibodies against a protein called GRP78 may lead to paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration (PCD) in people with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS), a study suggests. The study, “GRP78 antibodies are associated with blood-brain barrier breakdown in paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration in Lambert‐Eaton myasthenic syndrome,” was published in the…

LEMS-associated Respiratory Problems May Lead to Heart Dysfunction, Case Report Shows

Lambert‐Eaton myasthenic syndrome-associated diaphragm weakness and subsequent respiratory problems may impair heart function, a case study shows. The report, “Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome Presenting as Hypoventilation-Induced Right Heart Dysfunction,” was accepted for presentation at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) 2020 International Conference, which was planned…

Unity and EU-wide Efforts Focus of Online Rare Disease Meeting

Eurordis, a Paris-based coalition of national rare disease associations across Europe, hosted its first all-virtual conference, bringing some 1,500 delegates from 57 countries together online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was set for May 14–15 in…

Good Long-term Outcomes Seen in Japanese Study, Regardless of Cancer

Japanese patients with Lambert‐Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) show long-term neurological improvements with treatment regardless of whether they also have small cell lung cancer (SCLC), researchers report. The study, “Long‐term prognosis of Japanese Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome patients with or without small‐cell lung carcinoma,” was published in the journal Clinical…